Four Small But Essential Bike Parts

Bottle-Cage Bolts

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When you’ve exhausted all probable causes of an annoying rattle, loose cage bolts are likely to blame. They should be snug (use a torque wrench: 1 to 2nm for carbon, 2 to 5 for anything else) inside the bottle-cage bosses. Once a year, or any time you swap out a cage, regrease the threads on the bolts before reinstalling to prevent them from sticking. Keep bolts in bosses even when they’re not holding cages—leaving them open invites water and grit into the frame.